Vault structure



April 6, 1954 o. DIOGURDI, JR 2,674,024

vAuLT STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 29, 1952 2 sheets-sheet J.

April 5,1954 o. DIYOGUARDL JR 2,674,024

VAULT STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 6, `1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to vault structures and more particularly to a burial vault construction.

It is a known fact that according to cemetery burial regulations and religious customs not more than 3 caskets may be placed in superposed position in a single burial plot or area. To arrange these caskets in separate vaults or outer burial cases has caused diiiiculties as to the height of such vault structures since they are not to eX- ceed a predetermined measurement. The consequence of such requirement is that vaults must not only be dimensioned to lit various shapes of caskets, but cannot exceed a definite maximum height in order to comply with the aforesaid regulations, must be sturdy and assume a shape 'or configuration in order to enable placing of three vaults in superposed position within a single burial plot.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the invention to provide means facilitating a strong and substantially fluid-tight vault structure for housing variously shaped caskets and to withstand for a long time atmospheric influences, outer pressures, and other forces.

It is another object of the invention to provide means affording a suitably formed lid or cover structure which may be easily grasped and handled and does not in any way contribute t0 an increase of the height of the vault and like case.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means conducive to convenient accommodation of the locking mechanism for the vault structure and its operation from within hollow handles, whose upper walls are substantially level with the uppermost lid surface.

It is another object of the invention to provide means permitting positive guidance and lockingr of the lid with respect to the vault body and also ready unlocking and removing of said lid therefrom, if desired.

It is still another object of the invention to provide means affording positive and automatic locking of the lid or cover structure on the body of the vault when the lid is lowered on top of the latter.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means rendering the possibility of manufacturing from a single, thin or light-gauged sheet metal, such as steel, a strong vault structure without the need of additional reinforcing braces or like elements.

Itis another object of the invention to provide means contributing to 'a thin-walled vault structure which is reinforced in longitudinal and transverse directions of its walls so that they withstand high pressures without suffering distortion and deformation.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide means conducive to easy removal from the vault of supporting web straps generally used for lowering of the casket for contact with the bottom of the vault.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means affording easy change of appearance of a steel or like metal vault into a concrete vault.

The above and other objects and features will become apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section through the vault constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of details of the locking mechanism used in connection with the invention;

Fig. 3 is an end View of the locking mechanism of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a front view, partly in section, of a side wall of the vault;

Fig. 5 is a section of the side wall shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary top plan View of the bottom wall of the vault; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective View of a vault structure in modied form, showing an end wall of the vault in the process of being swung into engagement position with the vault.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a burial vault I0 adapted to receive a casket II seen in phantom lines. Vault I0 is constituted by a casing I2 and a lid I3. Said casing I2 includes upright side walls I4 and bottom wall I5. Side walls I 4 are provided at their upper ends with an inwardly extending circumferential iiange I6 having a groove Ib and a guiding edge I7. Lid I3 is also provided with an inwardly extending circumferential flange I8 including a guiding edge I9. Guiding edge I9 is provided with spaced cut-outs 20, threaded openings 2| engaging Vbolts '22 which support springs 23 each being offset at one of its ends 24 which lies adjacent the respective cut-out 20.

Pivot pin 25 is connected to the inside wall of each guiding edge I9 and extends across cutout 20. Latch means 2E pivoted on pins 25 substantially extend within each cut-out 20 and include each a central portion 21 and flange means 28 with an arcuate surface 29. Springs 23 abut against the central portions 21 and thereby urge latch means 26 in the direction of arrow A (Fig. 2). To each latch means 25 is connected a pull cord 30. The lid I3 is further provided with hollow handles 3| aixed adjacent opposite ends of the lid I3. Within the lid are arranged gasket-shaped sealing means 33 surrounding openings 32 through which said pull cords 30 are conducted. Each pull cord 30 terminates in a ring member 34 attached at the end thereof.

As can be seen from the drawings, each handle 3| consists of a substantially flat top piece 35 which is substantially level with the top wall 36 of the lid I3.

Handle 3| has further downwardly extending lugs 31 and 38 which are spaced from each other and fixed to the downwardly slanting wall portions 3Ea of the lid, as by welding. It will further be seen from the drawing that handle top piece or wall 35 includes a tubular piece 39 at one-end to thereby facilitate grasping of the lid I3 by an operator standing at one end thereof. Within the space between the lugs 3l, 33 which define a pocket the ring member 34 becomes accessible, so that a person grasping with both hands the Vopposite handles 3| may also pull by means of ring members 34 the pull cords 33 to thereby unlatch the lid I3 from the casing I2 for removing the lid from the latter.

The uppermost lsurfaces of the top walls 35 of the handles, which are arranged on the slanting lid surface side portions are ush with the central uppermost surface wall 36 of the lid. Thus, :the handles 3| cooperate with the top wall 3G and form an enlarged bearing surface for supporting another vvault 50a, shown in phantom lines, which may be stacked thereon. The further downwardly extending, substantially vertical'side walls i4 include reinforcing means in the form of bent portions 40. Other reinforcing means may be'provided; for instance, the side walls I4 may be made of sheet material which is hammered or undulated either longitudinally or transversely thereof, or both. The bottom wall I5 is hammered and thus reinforced, and it includes indentations or protuberances 4I, 42, 43 and 44 which are symmertically arranged. The

casket II is supported by said prctuberances 4I,

42, d3 and 44, and it is spaced from the inner surface of bottom wall I5, so that when the casket has been lowered into the vault I0 the web strap means 45, which is generally used, may be easily removed.

Thevault is made from light or thin-gauged sheet material such as steel. Additional concrete reinforcing means may be provided, if such is deemed desirable, as is explained further below.

As more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 upon loweringr of lid I3 onto casing I2 the guide edges I3 and II of the respective flange means I8 and I5 tend to center and guide the lid with respect to the open-ended casing, while sealing means Isa of rubber', rubber cement or any suitable and compressible sealing strap material running along and vseated in circumferential groove IBD is rmly compressed and in contact with said ange I8 to provide a perfect airand fluidtight seal, which is recessed and invisible with respect to the outer surfaces of the lid and side walls ofthe casing. Latch means 26 then spring into action to automatically lock said lid inposition as is well apparent from the above description. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, there is disclosed the outer surface of an upright side wall 4|', which is corrugated at 4Ia,4lb', etc. and may have openings 42 in said corrugations for a purpose hereinafter described. It is well understood that side walls I4 as well as bottom wall I5 may be replaced by corrugated thin steel walls 4I', the corrugations thereof running in the direction from the upper flange I6 downwardly toward bottom wall I5 (Fig. 5).

In order to change the outer appearance of the vault or otherwise comply with any desired wishes of customers the corrugated steel wall casing or vault may be readily transformed into a casingwith concrete wall appearance. To this end, the corrugated portions 4Ia, 4Ib', etc. are provided with the aforesaid openings 42' in which are anchored and retained portions,l of layers of concrete mass 43 which becomes continguous with the outermost apices 40a of the wall 4I. Fig. 4 shows a front elevation of transformed corrugated -wall 4I with outer concrete appearance.

In conjunction with the aforesaid corrugated side walls the bottom wall I5 of the casing I2 may be reinforced at the inner surface thereof by hammering at or by other suitable displacements of portions of the material of which the casing is made. Those parts of the bottom wall I5 on which the casket II is placed may be provided with somewhat elevated pairs of protuberances or tits 4I, 4Ia; 42, 42a; 43, 43a and de, 44a, which not only contribute to stiffening of the bottom plate, but also facilitate ready removal of web means-45, by means of which casket il may be lowered into the interior of the casing and onto the bottom I5 thereof.

1t is to be understood that instead of closing or lockingr vault I0 from above, one of the end walls 5I of the casing I0b (Fig. '7) may be employed to close and lock the casing in a manner similar to that described with respect to lid I3, which, in such case, would be fixed to or integral with the remainder of the casing. In such a case, a frame having a fiange 52 and guiding means substantially similar to that of side walls I 4 may be secured endwise to the side Walls of the vault. The top wall 36h of vault Itb has the laterally xed handles 3 I b disposed adjacent wall portion 36h to enlarge the bearing surface of said portion 36h.

Instead of being made from steel, the vault may be made from any suitable plastic or plastic composition, wood and other material sustaining high stresses and other forces.

The invention has been shown and described in general in the drawings. However, it should be noted that this invention may be realized in modified form and adaptations of the arrangements herein disclosed may be made as may readily occur to persons skilled in the art, without constituting a departure from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the objects and in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l.. A burial vault and like structure comprising a top wall, upright side walls, said top wall including a substantially horizontal wall portion and inclined wall portions diverging from said horizontal wall portion toward said upright side walls, and handle means disposed adjacent said inclined wall portions at'predetermined spaced locations yof the latter, ysaid Vhandle means `including each atop .piece extendi ng .substantially level with said horizontal Wall portion, whereby the bearing area of the latter is enlarged for supporting another vault in superposed position thereon.

2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein each of said handle means comprises spaced lugs extending at opposite ends of said top piece to the respective inclined wall portion, to which said lugs are attached.

3. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said top piece of each handle means is reinforced by a tubular end extending below and across said top piece.

4. A structure according to claim 1, wherein each top piece has a reinforced tubular end portion, and lateral lugs extending between each top piece and the respective inclined wall portion, each of said handle means forming together with the respective inclined wall portion a pocket.

Number 5 156,522 849,435 1,035,987 1,460,409 1,486,384 10 1,780,171 1,928,672

Number Name Date Wood Nov. 3, 1874 Stevenson Apr. 9, 1907 Merkelbach Aug. 20, 1912 Dochnal July 3, 1923 King Mar. 11, 1924 Clarke Nov. 4, 1930 Mitchell Oct. 3, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1909 

